A Face to Fear
by shullerina
Summary: She was breathless. She was afraid. She was more than afraid. Terrified? Yes, that's what she was. She was terrified.
1. A Face to Fear: Prologue

She was breathless.  
She was afraid.  
She was more than afraid.  
Terrified?  
Yes, that's what she was.  
She was terrified.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
==A Face to Fear==  
  
(By Shullerina)  
(shullerina@hotmail.com)  
(*feedback very welcome, this is my first posting, please tell me   
what you think*)  
  
(PG-13)  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
Ami inhaled desperately, in an unsuccessful effort to control   
her breathing. She couldn't understand it, her fear, her terror.   
Nor could she understand why she'd run.  
  
Originally she'd become separated from the others when the  
crowd had surged against them. Ami had ended up pushed into a gap  
between two of the display tents. She'd sighed, and moved further   
back into the shadows before pulling out her communicator.  
  
'Minako? I'll just make my way home now, ok?'  
  
Minako's voice had come through to her, tinny, due to the small   
speaker.  
  
'But won't you come on more rides with us, aren't you having a   
good time?'  
  
Ami had smiled.  
  
'Minako, I loved the fireworks, but these big shows really   
aren't my thing, you know. Too many people. Just look at how we   
were separated. You guys have fun, ok? I'll catch up with you   
tomorrow.'  
  
She'd started back out into the night, intending to head for   
the showgrounds exit.  
  
But then....  
  
She'd seen him. Only a glimpse, only a flash of green eyes a   
hint of golden hair. A face, one that both terrified and excited   
her. One that was familiar, too, too familiar. But strangely, not   
one known to her.  
  
And in that instant she'd seen him, she realised that he had   
also seen her.  
  
And she too, was familiar to him.  
  
And so, she'd run. 


	2. A Face to Fear: Chapter One

--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
==A Face to Fear==  
  
---Chapter One---  
  
(By Shullerina)  
(shullerina@hotmail.com)  
(*Feedback very welcome, this is my first posting, please tell me   
what you think*)  
  
Oh, and Sailor Moon is not mine, and I never said it was.  
  
(PG-13)  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
Ami stood pressed against a chain link fence, her body shaking   
from exertion.   
  
She listened anxiously for sounds of pursuit, but could hear   
nothing over her ragged breathing and rattling of the fence.  
  
Her heart thumped viciously in her chest, her blood pounded in   
her ears. Ami was almost disgusted with herself, she was a sailor senshi   
for goodness sake, Mizuno Ami, general brainiac, not some idiotic,   
flighty schoolgirl.  
  
What was it about this man that scared her so much, that she lost   
herself and flew headlong into panic? Who was he? Ami tried to visualise   
him in her mind, but she couldn't get a clear picture.  
  
But she'd know him, if ever she saw him again. Ami was sure of it.  
  
She found herself almost longing for the thrilling fear of meeting his eyes   
again, blue clashing with green. Despite the fear he had brought with his   
sighting, she wanted another. She was desperate to know who he was.  
  
Who he was, and why, even just an impression of him, shook up such a cocktail  
of emotions.  
  
Cool, calm and collected Ami. The girl with all the answers. But not   
this time. She only had questions right now.  
  
She froze, stopped her breathing altogether as she strained to hear   
past the accelerated sound of her blood.  
  
She could hear someone headed her way. She was sure of it. But she   
had to breathe, and her small, gasped breaths made listening too hard.  
  
Belatedly, she reached for her henshin wand, hoping that Sailor   
Mercury would be a match for whatever was coming, hoping it was the   
wonderfully terrifying   
man, hoping she'd stay in control this time.  
  
She crouched down against the chain link fence, there was definitely   
someone coming. Ami scrunched her eyes shut. In fear, or   
anticipation?   
  
Ami strained to hear anything. She dared not move. She wished she'd   
transformed before things had gone so far.  
  
Opening her eyes and peering into the darkness, she hoped that the   
other individual was as hindered by the lack of light as she.   
  
Ami shuddered, her fear settling over her like a damp blanket. She   
heard a noise behind her, a shoe on gravel perhaps. Flattening herself against the fence her head snapped around in terror.  
  
A man's voice greeted her through the night's curtain:  
  
'Ami?'  
  
He stared at the girl shrinking against the fence. He couldn't quite   
make out the features, but he was certain it was she.  
  
He stepped closer and drew in a breath to speak again.  
  
She was shaking! With fear or in exhaustion? He didn't know. He   
moved forward again, reaching his arms to embrace her, comfort her, to   
reassure her.  
  
She whimpered.  
  
He halted in fearful realisation, not wanting it to be true.  
  
She was... afraid... afraid of him.  
  
He stood still, helpless in his desire to quell her panic and to just   
take her in his arms and smooth back her damp hair from her beautiful   
face. He couldn't move any closer to her, but he didn't want to move   
away.  
  
She couldn't look at him, even though she longed to... she didn't know   
whom she would see. She didn't know if she wanted to see him.  
'Ami' he said her name again, pleading for her acceptance.  
The blue strands of her hair stuck sweatily to her forehead. She   
breathed in short, shallow gasps. Ami began to feel light-headed, and   
the edges of her vision were going fuzzy.  
  
The golden haired man was quite beautiful, with sharp, green eyes and   
gold curls that tried to spill from their bindings at the back of his   
neck. He was slim and tall, though not too tall and for all his   
slimness he was still visibly strong.  
  
He said her name almost questioningly, offering his hand to her, still   
too far away to touch her.  
  
Ami gripped the fence, linking her fingers through the mesh. She had   
to hang on. Ami tried to gain control over her body, as her vision   
became blurrier and blurrier. She risked looking at the man who had   
chased her. She couldn't see clearly, but she felt threatened by his  
posture, she was sure she could almost see a sword in his hand, a   
sword that was clearly meant for her.  
  
What had made her wish for him, this wonderful man who seemed to only   
desire fear and pain for her? Why did he keep saying her name, like   
he knew her. Like he truly knew her, with her faults and   
achievements. Like he knew how worthless her existence as a person   
was.  
  
The green eyed man stood still. His arms hanging loosely at his   
sides, his hands curled slightly, relaxed and unthreatening. He   
didn't move. Not one step closer to the girl, nor one step away from   
her.  
  
The blue haired girl leant against the fence, her eyes hesitantly   
closing out the spinning world about her. Her death grip on the fence   
had started loosen, she was losing herself.  
  
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*  
  
Startled, the man darted away, leaving Ami to succumb to   
unconsciousness, alone with her watch, as it sounded the hour. 


	3. A Face to Fear: Chapter Two

Ami threw down her pencil in frustration.  
  
Her fingers were aching to draw the face of the man she'd run from,   
but his image simply wouldn't come to her.   
  
Closing her eyes, she once again attempted to visualise the man who  
had terrified her so. She knew he was taller than her, she knew   
he was blonde, she was certain he had green eyes...  
  
But Ami couldn't put them all together to form the terrifyingly   
wonderful man.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
==A Face to Fear==  
  
---Chapter Two---  
  
(By Shullerina)  
(shullerina@hotmail.com)  
Oh, and Sailor Moon is not mine, and I never said it was.  
  
(PG-13)  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Ne, Ami-chan, what are you drawing?'  
Ami looked at Usagi, mentally shaking off her distraction,   
'Nothing really, Usagi-chan... just... sketching...'  
  
Minako smiled at Ami eagerly, 'Can I see?'  
  
Ami blushed slightly, glancing down at the pad in her lap, 'It's   
really nothing Minako, not even something, just lines on paper...   
not worth looking at, worthless...' Her voice tapered off.  
  
Worthless...  
  
Usagi began to eagerly chatter to Minako about the night she had   
planned with Mamoru, Minako nodded and smiled. But her attention   
was on Ami.   
  
Usagi had passed off Ami's departure from the conversation as a usual  
occurence. Indeed, Ami often did stagger to a stop in the middle of   
sentences, her words unable to keep up with the furious rate her mind   
set, but Minako felt this was different.  
They weren't talking about anything particularly intellectual, they   
hadn't been talking about anything particularly anything. They'd been   
talking about Ami's drawing...  
  
But somehow Minako realised that wasn't what now occupied her mind.  
  
'Ami-chan?'  
  
Ami's dark lashes lifted away from her blue eyes as she looked up at   
Minako.  
  
'Yes Minako?'  
  
Minako was oddly pensive, 'Are you ok?'  
  
'Of course she's ok!' Usagi said cheerfully, 'Ami's always ok.   
Aren't you Ami-chan?' Usagi's face lost her smile, and became almost   
sly, 'Is it boy trouble? Hmm,' Usagi giggled almost maniacly, 'You   
can tell me old pal, have you found a boy on the in-ter-net?'  
  
Ami blushed madly, 'Usagi!'  
  
Usagi sighed, 'Ah, Ami-chan, you're no fun... Don't you want a   
boyfriend?'  
  
Ami smiled, almost sadly noted Minako, 'I don't have time for a   
boyfriend Usagi-chan.'  
Ami sat at a booth at the Crown Arcade, she was half-heartedly  
skimming over the pages of her advanced calc. text book, but soon  
realised she'd read the same paragraph four times. She sipped at   
her lemonade spider, absently listening to Usagi and Makoto argue   
about what route to take in the latest Sailor V game.  
  
'When you get to the den of thieves, you should sneak around the side,  
and that way you get to attack the leader from behind...  
  
'Oh, Mako-chan, a full frontal attack is what's needed, take them all  
by surprise...  
  
Ami shook her head, smiling slightly, knowing that Minako was sure to  
join in at some point, proclaiming that 'as Sailor V' she knew   
exactly which route to take, and they were both wrong.  
  
As Minako began to do just that, Ami glanced towards the sliding glass   
doors of the Crown Arcade and her breath caught in her throat.  
  
Framed in the doorway, with the sun low in the sky behind him... was   
it him?  
  
Ami shakily put her spider down on the table, and then wiped her   
suddenly sweaty hands on the serviette on the table beside her glass.   
She clenched them into fists, steeling herself to raise one to shield   
her eyes soshe could see if it was truly him. Her hands shook as she  
drew in a long, slightly labored breath. The silhouette she was   
presented with was just as she remembered, surely it was him?  
  
'Ne, Ami-chan, am I right, or am I right?'   
  
Minako laid a hand on Ami's shoulder, causing her to look up at the   
blonde,   
  
'He?'   
  
'Because I actually am Sailor V, naturally, I'm going to be best at   
the game.'  
  
'Actually Minako, because I have better logic skills, and going on   
past experience, I'm going to be best at the game.'   
  
Ami blinked, surprised by how easily she'd been distracted from her   
goal.   
She slowly turned back to the doorway, half hoping he was gone...  
  
He was. 


	4. A Face to Fear: Chapter Three

--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
==A Face to Fear==  
  
---Chapter Three---  
  
(By Shullerina)  
(shullerina@hotmail.com)  
Oh, and Sailor Moon is not mine, and I never said it was.  
  
(PG-13)  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'That's it,' said Ami, stepping away from the Sailor V game, 'I have   
to study, I've a calc test in two days, and I haven't been able to   
concentrate all week.'  
  
'Ami-chan, you can't leave now, you gotta watch me beat your score!'  
  
'I'll believe it when I see it.'  
  
'Exactly, that's why you gotta stay!'  
  
'No, Minako, I'm going to the library,' Ami looked at Minako slyly,   
'Come to think of it, don't you have an English test tomorrow,   
maybe you should come with me....'  
  
Minako backed off straight away, 'Umm, actually, y'know, this is just   
my break from studying, y'know, to keep the blood circulation going   
and everything... he he'  
  
'Ok, I guess I'll see you all later then.'  
As Ami headed out the glass doors of the Arcade, the golden haired man   
watched her pull her books close to her chest, like a shield against   
the terror that was the rest of the world. He moved to follow her through  
the crowds of people on the Sunday paths. He watched her skim gently   
between people, finding the spaces, not forcing her way through, as he   
shadowed her steps. She was like a dancer on the ice, balanced, poised,   
gliding past her obstacles.  
  
Ami shivered, and looked back sharply over her shoulder. Was he still   
around? She wondered, still not sure that the man she'd seen in the   
doors of the arcade was the one who had chased her and now flew through   
her thoughts.  
  
Ami held her books even tighter, and quickened her step, desiring a safe  
haven to hide herself from him.  
Ami settled herself into the hard chair, trying to relax in the library.   
She flipped open her calculus text book and located the pages she needed  
to know for the test... Her eyes darted about the area she was in,   
checking all the entrances she could see from her chair. Was somebody   
there, behind that display cabinet, or over there?  
Ami looked over her shoulder, unable to shake the feeling she was being   
watched.  
  
'I'm sooo paranoid... I'm letting my imagination get the better of me...'  
  
She shifted slightly, attempting to calm herself. she glanced furtively   
to her right.  
  
'This is ridiculous, ' Ami said to herself, standing with a groan, 'I'll   
never get anything done....'   
  
A rustle came from behind that disply cabinet, Ami stared at it hard....   
Slowly, she prowled towards it, her eyes flicking from left to right,   
checking for other enemies.   
  
She spun around the cabinet, 'AH a....'  
  
There wasn't anybody there.... Ami grinned to herself sheepishly,   
what a silly she was, stalking imaginary creatures in the wilds of the   
library.   
  
'Yeah, that's me,' she thought, 'Big tough senshi, jumping at nothing.'  
  
She strolled back to her table, still shaking her head and glancing around  
to see if anyone had observed her ridiculous behaviour.   
  
She sat down at her table, pulling her book closer as she settled herself   
into her chair. Ami reached for her pen, keeping her eyes on the text as  
she groped for her ballpoint.  
  
She froze as her fingers closed on her pen. There was someone sitting  
across from her, someone who hadn't been there before she'd checked the   
display cabinet.  
  
Ami tried to spring from her chair, to flee the room that was no longer  
safe for her to be in.  
  
But he had her. His long, slim fingers closed hard around her wrist,   
not tight enough to hurt, but enough so Ami could not break his hold.  
  
Ami's eyes were fixed on his hand holding her wrist. It was him, she   
knew it was. She took in a shaky breath, unable to look away from the  
hand that was holding her captive.  
  
He spoke her name again,  
  
'Ami...'  
  
His voice... so familiar, so frightening... She didn't want to see,   
didn't want to know.  
  
'Pleae Ami, look at me...'  
  
Ami clenched her eyes shut, her teeth closing on her lower lip.   
  
'Why is he hunting me?' she thought frantically, 'What does he want?'  
  
'Ami, just give me a chance to tell you...'  
  
It was a beautiful voice, surely a man with such a wonderful voice  
could not be dangerous, would be a beautiful man.  
  
Why couldn't she look at him?  
  
'Ami, you must look at me!'  
  
He reached out with his other hand, and lay it gently along the   
side of her face.  
  
'Please...'  
  
Suprisingly, Ami found herself leaning against his almost caress.  
  
'Look up Ami...'  
  
And so…  
  
She did. 


End file.
